FAX
us your
Classified Ad
845-2678
Include Visa, MasterCard,
Discover or American Express
Number and Expiration Date
for FAX orders
The Battalion
015 Reed McDonald Bldg.
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Call 845-0569 for more info
Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
School of Medicine
Pagef
Friday • March 7,195]
The UAG, located in the second most important dty in Mexico, is the largest and oldest
private university in the country. Our institution provides 52 undergraduate programs and 49
postgraduate programs, which include: specialties, masters degrees and doctorates
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
With more than three decades graduating U.S physicians, offers:
• Two entering classes per year: January and August
■ Rolling admissions policy
> Direct clinical experience with patients beginning first semester
1 Bilingual education during the first two years (School of Medicine only)
■ On-site medical education complex with two teaching hospitals
■ Intensive fourth semester USMLE step 1 review
■ Fourth year rotations at UAG-affiliated U.S. teaching hospitals
* Physicians graduates are bilingual and bicultural
Tuition remains level throughout course study
Federal Family Education Loan Program available
New York State Education Department approval
For more information, please call our toll-free number
800-531-5494
Office in the U.S.A.:
8801 Callaghan Rd, San Antonio, Texas 78230 *(210)366-1611 • iep@txdirect.net • www.gdl.uag.mx *
Bill would speed up adoptions
SNUFFER’S
RESTAGRANT & BAR
" AFTER 18 YEARS IN DALLAS
IT'S TIME I WENT TO COLLEGE"
1037 S. TEXAS AVE. • COLLEGE STATION
Serving our Leg
endary Food
7 days 'til 2:00 am
693-3148
All day Happy Hour
Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed
From Opening
'til last call
AUSTIN (AP) — Lawmakers
and Gov. George W. Bush joined
forces Thursday to push legisla
tion designed to speed up adop
tions in Texas.
Bush and the legislators said the
children deserve no less than quick
placement in good homes.
“Adoption is the loving option.
Adoption means a brighter future
for thousands of Texas children,”
Bush said.
He said the adoption reform bill
says to children, “Texas wants to
help find you a loving home as fast
as we can and as compassionately
as possible. The proposed laws say
to prospective parents, ‘We want
you to adopt, we encourage you,
and we will make it easier for you to
adopt a child in Texas.’”
A study by a special gubernator
ial task force said that in April 1996,
the Texas Department of Protective
and Regulatory Services — the
state’s child welfare agency — re
ported nearly 12,000 children were
in foster care. Of those, nearly 1,400
were legally free for adoption.
However, it said, while improve
ments had been made in the child
welfare system, many children spent
far too long in foster care before be
ing permanently placed in homes.
Statistics for the 1991-1995 fiscal
years showed children who were
adopted spent an average of 40.8
months in the system before the
adoption was completed. Those
children averaged four temporary
placements before adoption.
Lawmakers said the bill to be
considered would put children into
adoptive homes earlier, shorten the
time needed to terminate parental
rights and finalize adoptions and
provide more security that adop
tions won’t later be challenged.
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo,
the chief sponsor of the bill, said it
is important to get children into
adoptive homes quicker.
“What we have learnedov
the years is that the greatestprol
lem related to foster care is
the children age out of
process,” Mrs. Zaffirini sai
“They move from foster home
foster home and finally they ared
age and ... they are out on
street. We are going to stopths
Sen. Florence Shapiro,
Plano, a cosponsor, said themes
will make Texas a L “
md bl
sure
place for children and adoptii
parents. ?
“For too long, Texas has bee
dubbed an unfriendly adoptio
state. Too many of our constitueni
have decided to go not onlyoun ByJoey J
state to adopt children, but
the country,” she said.
lawmakers said they expectedtb
bill to speed through the legislature
“We already have the votes
pass the bill,” said Mrs. Zaffirini tes the (
who has 26 cosponsors inthell
member chamber.
Property tax plan raises talk of overhau
AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. George W
Bush’s call to lower local school prop
erty taxes has raised talk of overhaul
ing the state’s 70-year-old tax system.
Rep. Paul Sadler, D-Henderson,
chair of the committee consider
ing Bush’s plan, said Thursday he’s
excited about the prospects of
scouring the nearly three-inch-
thick state tax code.
Sadler is leading the charge to re
view every state tax—and every tax
exemption — to determine which
should stay, which should be
changed and which should go.
“Don’t you like that idea?” he
asked. “I do.”
Rep. Ric Williamson, R-Weather
ford, a member of the House Select
Committee on Revenue and Public
Education Funding, called the ef
fort a sunset on the tax code.
“Isn’t it interesting what the light
ofday exposes?” Williamson asked as
the committee looked at tax exemp
tions, some as old as state taxation.
“Many of these exemptions have
been in existence for 70 years,”
Williamson said. “In hindsight, one
might say these exemptions might
not deserve continuation. They
might have deserved continuation
in 1921.”
Williamson and others credit
Bush for starting the debate that
has led to the review of all state tax
es and tax exemptions.
For his part, Bush remained op
timistic about chances
for school tax relief, and
said the lawmakers’ in
quiries only will help
reach that goal.
“I tell you, we’re making
good progress on the is
sue,” he said. “They are go
ing to look at all kinds of
ways on how to achieve
the objectives of cutting
school taxes. ... It’s a
healthy debate for Texas.”
Gov. Bush
cents per $ 100 valuation on residat
tial property and $1 per $100 valin
tion on all other property. Theii
would be no exemptions undertb
plan, which has not been formal
voted on nor adopted.
That tax plan — com
bined with $18 billion ii
state funds set to bespei
on education in the
99 budget years — si
would leave more monei
for the state to cometij
with in order to reach thf
total $38 billion schedulec
to be spent on education.
To get there, the Housf
For nearly two years Bush has
said local school property taxes are
too high.
In January, the governor proposed
a new business tax, an increase to the
state sales tax and motor vehicle tax
and the use of $1 billion in addition
al state funds to lower local school
taxes by $3 billion a year.
Members of the House commit
tee have set Bush’s plan aside for now.
One idea being considered would
lower school property taxes by $3.6
billion a year. To do this, local school
property taxes would be cut to 50
committee is looking first at taxer
emptions. Millions in potentialtai
dollars aren’t collected each yeai
because of tax exemptions.
The committee has all but it
cided to leave food and medicim
untaxed and some social welfare
church and civic groups exempi
from some taxes. All other statetas
exemptions are being considered
Rep. Kim Brimer, R-Kennedalf
and a member of the committee
says some will have to go. “We neec
to look at ways to broaden &
scope. That starts with exemp
tions,” he said.
Ti
Shamroi
day is gre
Saint Pa
ous for
iristianii
:is -.L
ml §§ m
mm, H:.:;#' f BE 'mmi
:
- as? •
lorful Sczvivigs
SOIL
yest two
samples I
Super Shrub Sale
•Red Tip Photinia •Burford Holly
•Waxleaf Ligusfrrum •Nandina Domestica
•Dwarf Pittosporum
•Dwarf Yaupon Holly
Gallon.
Reg. 3.99
landina Domestica
2.99
Beautiful
i-Fat
Non-Fatent
ROSES
Over 40 beautiful
varieties to choose
from. 3 Gallon.
Reg. 9.99
7.99
Geraniums
Colorful blooms for
porch or patio.
6" Pot.
3.99
Salvia “May Night
('Mainach')
A member of the large mint
family. Fragrant flowers
with a long blooming
season. Loves the sun.
Gallon. Reg. 6.99
,, 1. ^
'-x . • '/■ ■ fzf ?
'Cofopfewentsf
4.99
Tomato
Plants
Jumbo 6 Pk.
Reg. 2.49
7
Grass Plugs
•St. Augustine
•El Toro Zoysia ^
Tray of 1 8 plugs
4.99
Perennial
Riant of
1997
Perma-Gro
Weed & Feed
1 6-6-1 2 formula.
40 lbs. covers
M ”“"\2fo?20
1 2.99 ea or....
•Top Soil
•Cow Manure
Perma-Gro Soil
Conditioners
•Organic
Bark Mulch 3 cu. ft
•Premium
Planter Mix 1 cu. ft.
3.99 ea or
40 lb. Reg. 1.29.
99 s 3foflO
SALE ENDS 3/10/97 ‘SELECTION AMY VARY BY STORE. WHILE
QUANTITIES LAST. STORE HOURS AA-F 9-7 *SAT 8-7 *SUN 9-6
Texas Tradition Since 1919
COLLEGE STATION:
2300 East Bypass 409/764-2900
T/
lALSy/ /
TEXAS
CERTIFIED
K!£Uals